I've been having a problem where anxiety arises when I'm settling on my meditation object, I've be doing silent present moment awareness. I think it's coming up because I'm trying to force myself to be peaceful. Any advice on letting go and just letting peace happen?

I've been having a problem where anxiety arises when I'm settling on my meditation object, I've be doing silent present moment awareness. I think it's coming up because I'm trying to force myself to be peaceful. Any advice on letting go and just letting peace happen?

-Fitz

You seem to get there on your own - first, you see a problem, then you see the surrounding context which hints at causes, then you think it's from forcing... so, stop forcing? Calm that mind-involvement...

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]